The Perfect Present
by Lianna-snow
Summary: It's Ziva's birthday but she's home alone. A short drabble as she opens all the team members' presents. Tony, after giving her a strange looking DVD, avoids her for the rest of the day. Ziva gets a pleasant surprise when she watches it, and finally understands why the best moments in life are the ones that you don't expect. Fluff of some sorts.


The Perfect Present

Hey guys! This is a birthday fic for my dear friend on twitter, tivashipper :) I LOVE HER TO DEATH FOR BEING AWESOME;) it's a little short because it was supposed to be a Drabble of some sorts. Unfortunately or fortunately, this fic began to write itself, so I apologise if it's stretching a bit. Also, it's my first time writing Tiva as adults so PLEASE GO EASY ON ME I'm quite nervous about this one, since I wrote it very fast... I didn't use a beta for this one, nor did I do my second and third checks, so mistakes are all mine.

ENJOY~!

Disclaimer: No...sadly.

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Her legs were crossed out in front of her as she started gently removing the tape. Knowing McGee, he had definitely put way too much tape while wrapping her gift, so she decided to tear the wrapper open, damned the nice design. Ziva saw the autographed poster for her favorite musical, and smiled. Tim must have bought it at one of those conventions he always attended. She knew that McGee probably asked Tony what she would like.

The starkness of Gibbs' present both amused and touched her. It was a simple wooden photo frame, but the design was so intrinsic that he must have taken at least a month to complete it. She recalled his quick words as he deposited the gift on her table. "For someday when you have a family of your own." She could not help but be reminded of a certain partner as the only person she wanted to do that with.

She spotted the black skull-shaped package next, and managed to open it without destroying the paper too much. Ziva nearly burst out in laughter when she took in the small box that was enclosed in tons of newspaper, to make the skull shape. The simple charm bracelet with items representing the entire team made her grin with delight. A duck for Ducky. A pair of spectacles for Palmer. A skull for Abby. A hammer for Gibbs. A computer for McGee. A star of David for herself, and a pizza for Tony. Of course.

Ziva eyed the slim package on the top of the pile. He had given her a DVD, as expected, and he hadn't even bothered to wrap it. He had also avoided her for the rest of the day. The quiet disappointment in her was quickly pushed away by her curiousity of the content. She had never heard of the title, so she shrugged and slipped the disc into her DVR nonchalantly. Expecting some strange foreign film, she was very surprised to see Tony's face on the screen.

"Hey Ninja! It's your birthday and I'm sorry I couldn't think of something better to get you." She was reaching for the phone to call him and make him explain, when "he" spoke again. "DON'T PICK UP THAT PHONE! Heh. I know that you're probably wanting to call me and threaten me, so I'll cut to the messages!" His face was then replaced with a very enthusiastic Abby, who was asking Tony if the image was stable. She then turned towards the camera with a big smile as she motioned for Tony to leave the room.

"Hey Ziva! I think Tony's gone now.

Did you like the charms? I had them specially made for you! Well, I actually threatened the guy because he owed me one. Wait...maybe you chose to open Tony's present first, so you haven't seen my present yet. Umm, I hope you've already seen my present because if you haven't, then this really awkward and spoiler-ish... But anyway, Happy Birthday Ziva! Thanks for staying alive and being there for me. We love you!" Ziva chuckled softly at Abby's babbling voice that echoed in the room around her, as the video cut to a very flustered McGee.

"H-hey Ziva. Happy birthday! The year has passed so fast, and now you're one year older! Not that you look old, because you're really pretty." Ziva had to laugh at that. Especially when she could hear Tony's voice from behind the camera, telling McGee to quit while he's behind. McGee's eyes go off screen for a while, before they give her a look. "You know, Ziva, we can still work together and kill Tony, if you want to. I might be able to get more intel if you're interested. Anyway, moving on, I just wanted to let you know that you're like a sister to me, and I'll always have your back. Thank you for always having mine. "

Finally, the video clip cut to a darker room, in which Ziva recognized was Gibbs' basement. She heard Tony's nervous voice. "Boss? Hey I was wondering if-" The camera was taken from him and he was running out of the room within seconds with a short "okay then". Gibbs waited for the door to close and the footsteps to fade, before gently setting the camera down onto the table.

"Happy Birthday Ziver. I know it's been a long time since you had a chance to properly celebrate your birthday. It may have brought back some unpleasant memories, but that's all they are. They are the past. In Mossad, you were trained to use the past very actively. What you now need to focus on, is the present. I know it's been a tough few months, but you've managed to pull through. That strength you have, is the thing that's gonna lead you through life, so you need to pull yourself together and move forward. Make sure that Dinozzo learns that eavesdropping is not a habit, but a skill. " He ended off, and Ziva could clearly hear the , headslap, followed by a weak "Ow".

Finally, Tony's face reappeared on the screen. "Hey! It's me again. I hope you've calmed down enough to hear my message. You've been a great friend to me over the past year, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. I hope you find what you're looking for. Anyway, make a birthday wish before it's over! With any luck, it may come true. If anyone deserves it, it's you. Happy Birthday Ziva."

The small smile remained stuck on her face even after the screen faded to black. She glanced up at the clock and sighed. It was already 11.30pm. Her birthday was almost over. Maybe it was the wine that she had treated herself to, or maybe it was just her wanting to live out the tradition of it. Whatever it was, it made her close her eyes and wish for the one thing she wanted.

Ziva opened her eyes and started gathering up her presents, when the door bell rang. In a haze, she opened the door to find Tony grinning impishly at her. Trust him to pick this time to pay her a visit. She rolled her eyes and moved aside to let him in, even though she knew that it was very late.

"Tony, what are you doing here? We need to be at work in a few hours."

"Did you watch the video?" Tony asked.

"Yes. Thank you for making it." She answered carefully. She didn't know what to expect from him at this point in time, but she intended to make sure that neither of them got hurt in the process. "It was...nice."

"You made a wish?"

"Yes, I did." Ziva gave him a soft smile. "It almost came true, actually."

He nodded, seemingly understanding her. "Did you enjoy your birthday then?"

"It was almost perfect, except for one small, minor detail. Perhaps you can help with that."

"Sure, anything for the birthday girl. What can I do?"

"Stand here." She motioned him to step closer to her, and when he did, she pulled his shirt towards herself until their lips met, and there was not much talking after that.

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Thoughts?


End file.
